Frank DeLucia (CAS ’74, G’ 75, MED ’79) was able to attend Georgetown because someone helped him out financially. He ended up becoming a doctor, and he always knew that one day, he would help someone else out, too. So now, DeLucia sponsors a scholarship for Michelle Collins (COL ’99), an aspiring doctor. “If it wasn’t for this assistance, I wouldn’t be here,” said Collins. “And I’m so glad I came, because Georgetown was definitely the place for me.” The university is looking to preserve need-blind admissions for students like Collins as it kicks off phase two of its massive capital campaign, according to administrators and alumni alike. The campaign’s original goal of $500 million has been increased to $750 million following the unexpected success of its first phase. The previous fundraising record at Georgetown was $189 million, according to executive director of Development Communications Janis Johnson. The current campaign has raised $355 million from over 50,000 donors thus far. The largest gift came from California businessman Robert McDonough (SFS ’49), who donated $30 million to the newly renamed McDonough School of Business. Growing up in Depression-era Chicago, McDonough dreamed of attending Georgetown. He gave his first gift of $5 in 1949, he said in a recent interview. “I just felt as if I had to give something back.” cDonough has been giving ever since, culminating in this week’s gift, which ties for the third largest donation ever to an American business school, according to a university press release. Bill Reynolds (COL ’79), the recently named president of the Alumni Association, said the current campaign has been in swing for three years. It began with a look at the numbers: while Georgetown ranks 20th on U.S. News and World Report’s list of top American colleges and universities, it ranks 55th in terms of the size of its endowment. “One of the main goals of the campaign is to increase the size of the university’s endowment,” said Reynolds. “That’s the only way we can maintain competitiveness and serve future students.” Other priorities include improvements to the university’s physical plant, including a new science building, and over 40 new endowed professorships, according to material Johnson provided. But, as always, financial aid remains a priority and a favored destination among donors, according to Johnson. One of the largest donations the campaign has received was a $17 million gift by an anonymous donor to provide scholarships for students from war-torn areas of the world, such as Bosnia, Rwanda and Northern Ireland. According to The Washington Post, the donation occurred after a chance remark by a Georgetown law student working at the United Nations to a group of wealthy acquaintances that it might be nice if students from other countries had the chance to attend Georgetown. University President Leo O’Donovan, S.J., said that the campaign is not just about raising money but about achieving “competence” in alumni relations and communications – both areas in which the university needed to improve its efforts and which have received a boost. When asked for his reaction to the results thus far, O’Donovan said simply, “I’m thrilled.” Johnson said she believes that donors were waiting for just this type of campaign to begin. “It’s like the floodgates opened, and donations started pouring in. There seemed to be a pent-up demand to invest in excellence.” Bill Reynolds said the campaign has gone through several stages. First, Georgetown’s needs were defined through conversations with department heads and university officials. Then, alumni met to create a statement to compel potential donors, and an infrastructure to deal with donations. O’Donovan also said he had the vision for a major capital campaign from the time he first became president in 1989. “Now, not only have we built an incredible team for the current campaign through 2001, but we have the ability to continue this kind of effort in the future,” he said. Reynolds echoed O’Donovan’s sentiment about future efforts, adding, “From the moment a student steps on campus, we view them as future alumni.” Reynolds said he hoped students would pick up on the feeling coming from the current campaign. In fact, donations among students currently attending Georgetown are already on an upswing. Last year’s Senior Class Gift included contributions from 63 percent of the class of 1998, more than double the percentage of seniors who had contributed to the previous year’s gift. Said Reynolds, “I hope students see how, regardless of age, you can make a real impact on a fantastic place.” ichelle Collins has definitely absorbed that philosophy. She said once she is able, she wants to do for a Georgetown student what Frank DeLucia did for her.